Statement on Hyatt's Updated Cancellation Policy and World of Hyatt Benefits

Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Published: April 6th, 2020

April 06, 2020 // Franchising.com // Our purpose at Hyatt – we care for people so they can be their best – is guiding our decisions as we support you and your future travel with us. Hyatt is taking additional actions to care for World of Hyatt members and guests during this difficult time.

Waiving change and cancellation fees through June 30, 2020

We are adjusting our policies to allow for flexibility regarding travel at this time by extending our cancellation fee waivers through June 30, 2020. See below for details:

• Existing reservations for upcoming travel through June 30, 2020: All existing reservations (booked April 1 or before) for arrivals through June 30, 2020 can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations.
• New reservations for any future travel: With some very limited exceptions noted below, reservations booked between April 2, 2020 and June 30, 2020 – for any future arrival date – can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations. The only exceptions are reservations booked after April 1, 2020 at Destination Residences and Special Events Rate reservations booked after April 1, 2020. The cancellation policies for a Special Event Rate will be noted in the rate’s Rate Rules section when booking.

Reservations can be changed or cancelled up to 24 hours before a scheduled arrival on hyatt.com or via the World of Hyatt app (subject to the exceptions noted above).

These policies apply to reservations made through Hyatt directly. Guests who booked via online travel agents or other third parties are advised to contact their booking provider for information on their policies and for assistance. These policies do not apply to convention and group business due to the contractual nature of these reservations. Guests with reservations at a Hyatt Residence Club property who did not book through Hyatt channels should contact Hyatt Residence Club.

Extending World of Hyatt loyalty program benefits

We are closely listening to our World of Hyatt members and using feedback to continually evaluate ways to flex the program. To advance care and give members one less thing to worry about during this incredibly challenging time, World of Hyatt benefits will be extended in the following ways for all members globally:

• More time to use points: We are suspending the forfeiture of points through December 31, 2020. As a reminder, our general policy is that points do not expire, but they will be forfeited if a member’s account is inactive for 24 months.
• More time to use earned awards: All unused Free Night, Suite Upgrade or Club Lounge Access awards with expiration dates between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 will be extended to December 31, 2021. This includes existing awards and awards that may be earned throughout this year with a 2020 expiration date. The award extension will be generated by World of Hyatt – members do not need to take action. Awards that expired between March 1 and March 31, 2020 will be replaced with new awards on April 20, 2020. All other qualifying, unused awards will be updated by the 20th day of the month in which the award would have originally expired.
• More time for elite members to enjoy their status and benefits: Status and benefits will be extended for all existing elite members without having to re-qualify. This means that whatever your status was as of March 31, 2020 – whether Discoverist, Explorist or Globalist – it will be automatically updated to reflect a February 28, 2022 expiration date. All elite tier extensions should be reflected in members’ accounts no later than April 15, 2020.

For more information, please visit hyatt.com/covid-19.

Media Contact:

Siân Rylander
Hyatt
+1 312 780 5797
sian.rylander@hyatt.com

SOURCE Hyatt